Heating pad



April'fi, 1937.

w. G. SHELTON' I HEATING PAD Filed June so, 1932 IN VEN TOE IIV/ ..|ll

,4 TOE/V5 Y Patented Apr. 6,, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HEATING PAD Application June so, 1932, Serial No. oz'oa'zs -9 Claims.

type utilizing heat produced by exothermic reaction between suitable substances, and the invention consists in a novel compact container forone or more of the substances and associated means for starting and controlling the exothermic action.

The main object of the present invention is to provide a heater padin which the exothermic 1o reaction can be delayed after application of the pad to an article to be heated although the pad at such time includes all the elements necessary for its functioning.

Another object is to provide for varying the quantity of heat produced by the pad.

Another object isto provide a pad of the type referred to containing a quantity of exothermic powder which will retain the powder in a substantially sealed condition during the application of the article to be heated irrespective of substantial manipulation of the pad during such application thereby avoiding the sifting or leakage of 'the powder from hands, eyes, or mouth of the operator, or any other adjacent person, or'into any other undesired place where it may contact with moisture, for example, and create heat which isundesirable and dangerous.

While the present invention may be utilized in various ways, the particular problems solved by the applicant and the attending advantages of the present structure are well illustrated in the use of the invention in the hair waving art, and the accompanying drawing and the follow; ing description refer to such embodiment of the invention.

It has been proposed heretofore to use an envelope containing a dry exothermic substance for wrapping about a curled strand of hair and moistening the pad as it is applied to thezstrand of hair to create the necessary heat for eflecting the so-called permanent waving of the hair. Previously in using such pads it has been necesmic substance before its application to the hair and to apply a moistened member over the perforations in order to supply water to the exothe container into the sary to perforate the container for the exother-,

This invention relates to heating pads of the ing operation which is undesirable and may be very disadvantageous since, the application. of one pad to the head of the customer will result in immediate heating of one strand while the operator is applying successive pads to the other, 5 strands of hair., Furthermore, with devices such ashave been used hitherto there is little or no possibility or! controlling the quantity of heat applied to the hair although it is recognized 'that different grades of hair require substani0 tially different heat treatment. These disadvantages are avoided by the use of the present device asillustrated in the accompanying drawing, in whichv Figure 1 isa view of a stitched pad in open 15 position.

Figure 2 is a similar view illustrating a modi-' fled form of stitching.

Figure 3 is an enlarged detail section taken substantially on the line 3-4 of Figure 1. 20

Figure 4 is a view of the pad being applied to a curl.

Figure 5 is a view of the pad wound about the curl and ready for use.

Figures 6 and 7 are views corresponding to 25 Figuresl and 3, respectively, but illustrating another modification.

The pad illustrated in. Figures'l and 3 in cludes an outer moisture and heat retaining layer I, preferably of paper, parchment, or, similar 0 -material and folded over, a layer 2 of nonporous heat transmitting material such as aluminum -foil secured to the outer layer, a'sack or envelope 3 mounted in the center of the lower part of layer 2, and an absorbent sheet or 5 flap 4 which is stitched or glued to the lower edge of the pad adjacent the edge of envelope 3. The flap 4 may be conveniently made 01' flannel or other similar material and is of a.

size to cover the envelope 3. when folded in- 40- wardly. I

The envelope 3 contains a quantity of powdered exothermic substance 5, such as lime compound or other material as referred to above. in order to permit the application of moisture to the powdered compound, the outer sheet or wall of the envelope is provided with a series of longitudinal rows of stitches 6, the threads having loose ends I extending beyond the end portion of the paper layer I intended to be positioned away from the scalp. The envelope is chain-stitched or hosted, or otherwise sewed in a manner .to permit ready withdrawal of the threads when the ends I are pulled, so as to leave thread holes in. the outer wall of the en- 20 the roll.

velope. The number and size of the thread holes obviously depend upon the number of stitches and the size of the threads used. If desired, the stitches may extend through both walls of the 5 envelope, in which case the threads will assist in maintaining the chemical evenly distributed when the pad is being moved about.

In applying the pad to the hair, a segregated strand, preferably moistened with curling lotion, 10 is first wound about a curling rodin the usual manner and a protector clamp 8 applied near the scalp. The absorbent strip 4 is dipped in water and folded over the envelope 3 and the left-hand portion of foil layer 2 (Figure l) is 15 then folded over the moistened absorbent layer.

The pad is wound about the coiled tress, as illustrated in Figure 4, with the thread ends away from the scalp S, and both ends of the pad are crimped about the coil to hold the heat within The loose ends of one or more of the threads 1, are then gripped by the operator and pulled, withdrawing the threads and leaving thread holes in the envelope 3 which permit moisture from the absorbent strip 4 to reach the exo- 25 thermic substance within the envelope. Thus the exothermic reaction in all the pads may be started in rapid succession after all the pads have been applied. Heat in substantial quantities will be generated in each pad which is transmitted 30 through the ,folded over portion of foil 2 to all parts of the hair strand. The foil layer 2 will be next to the hair and will prevent the reaction water from the strip 4 from reaching the curl.

In Figure 3, the formation of the chain stitches 35 6 in the outer wall of envelope 3 is illustrated,

the thickness of the various layers being exaggerated for clarity of disclosure. It will be apparent that when the loose end 1 is pulled the stitches 6 will be successively withdrawn, leaving 40 a series of alined thread holes in the envelope.

The envelope, if desired, may be stitched by 45 means of a single thread 9, as in Figure 2, in which case the thread will be stitched back and forth over substantially the entire surface of the envelope. Where a plurality of threads are used, as in Figure 1, all of the loose ends must be 50 gripped to withdraw all of the stitches, whereas with the use of a single thread, asin Figure 2, only one end need be drawn. In Figure 2 the thread 8 is illustrated as only partially withdrawn in order to expose a portion only of the 55 chemical through the thread holes ill to the exothermic reaction, with the result that less heat will be produced. This feature is desirable in that various types of hair require different amounts of heat for proper setting. The rows of stitches in Figure 1 may be similarly only partially withdrawn, if desired. l Other means of opening perforations in the pad after application to the hair may be substituted,

if desired. In Figures 6 and 7, a thin strip l6 of 65 non-porous flexible material, such as paper or cellophane, is folded and its lower face pasted to the outer wall of envelope H, which is perforated as at l2. The free end l3 of strip l6 extends beyond the end of parchment layer I4. In

70 applying the pad to a curl, the moistened fabric I is laid upon the folded strip IS. The pad is then wrapped about the curl and the ends crimped, The free end [3 of the strip 16 may then be pulled to withdraw as much of the pasted 75 strip as is desired, permitting the moistened fabin Figure 1, to permit removal of the cover sheet. 10

The broad feature of the invention, that is.

means of admitting an actuating substance, such as moisture, to the chemical containing envelope of an exothermic heater pad after moisture is applied to the pad, may be embodied in devices other than those intended for permanent waving, and the particular exothermic material used is not essential. Other similar means of preventing spilling of the powdered chemical during handling of the pad and of removing said means to inaugurate the exothermic reaction will occur to those skilled in making heating pads. While the above description refers to the preferred way of using the invention in a hair waving pad, it will be noted that the chain-stitched arrangement is also a convenient method of perforating the powder container even though it is desired to open the perforations prior to the application of the pad to the hair. In other words, the pad may be perforated by means of the chain stitches in the same manner as pads heretofore in use have been perforated by suitable tools which necessitated the opening of the perforations prior to the application of the pad. to an article to be heated. The details of the pad illustrated are not essential. I claim the exclusive use of all such variations and applications of the invention as come within the scope of the appended claims. What is claimed is:

1. In a heating pad, a closed container for exo- 40 thermic substance, a member for retaining an actuating material, and means arranged to, be operated to admit said material to the interior of said container to contact with said substance after the pad has been applied to an article to be heated, said container being capable of separating said substance and said material until operation of said means.

2. A heater device comprising an envelope containing an exothermic substance, and a thread stitched through the wall of said envelope, said thread being readily removable when the pad is ready for use to expose said substance through the thread holes to adjacent matter.

3. A heating pad including a layer of exothermic substance, a layer of absorbent material, and an intervening layer of non-porous material, there being a thread stitched through said intervening layer and having a projecting end, said thread being readily removable when the pad is ready for use to expose said substance through the thread holes to said absorbent layer! 4. A heating pad including a non-porous envelope containing'a substance capable of reacting exothermically with a liquid, a layer of .absorbent material for distributing the liquid, and a thread stitched through the wall of said envelope and having a loose end, said envelope and thread confining said substance, and said thread being readily removable when the pad is ready for use to expose said substance through the thread holes to said absorbent layer and liquid absorbed thereby.

5. In a hair waving heater pad, an outer layer of moisture retaining material, a non-porous enwhen the pad is ready for use to expose said substance to said absorbent layer.

6. A hair waving heater pad for encircling a wound tress of hair and including an envelope containing a substance capable of reacting exotherrnlcally with a liquid, a-layer of absorbent material for distributing the liquid, and a thread stitched through the wall of said envelope adjacent said absorbent layer and having a loose end, said thread being readily removable, when the Z0 pad encloses a wrapped strand of hair by pulling said -looseend, to expose said substancethrough the thread holes to said absorbent layer.

'7. A hair waving heater pad for encircling a wound tress of hair and including an envelope 25 containing a substance capable of reacting exoan outer moisture rethermically with a liquid, taining layer having'end portions adapted to be crimped around the tress, an inner layer of absorbent material for distributing the above-mentioned liquid, and a thread stitched through the wall of said envelope adjacent said absorbent layer and having a free end long enough to extend beyond the crimped end of said outer layer aovaouo when the pad is applied to a wound tress, said thread being readily withdrawn when said free end is pulled to expose said substance through the thread holes to said absorbent layer.

8.A hair waving heater pad for encircling v a wound tress of hair and includingan envelope containing a substance capable of reacting exothermically with a liquid, a layer of absorbent material for. distributing the liquid, an outer moisture retaining layer, and a plurality of threads stitched through the wall of said envelope adjacent said absorbent layer and having loose ends extending beyond the end of said outer layer, said threads being readily withdrawnsingly or together when their respective ends are pulledto expose said substance through the thread holes to said absorbent layer.

9. A hair waving heater pad for encircling a wound tress of hair and including an envelope containing asubstance capable of reacting exothermically with a liquid, a layer of absorbent material for distributing the liquid, and stitches in the wall of said envelope adjacent said absorbent pad, all or part of said stitches being readily removable when the pad is ready for use to expose said substance through'the thread holes to said absorbent liquid and thereby efiect the exothermic reaction, the quantity. of heat released depending upon the number of stitches removed.

WILLIAM G. SHELTON.

pad and the absorbed 

